Jacob william lattig



(No Model.)

J. W. LATTIG. RAILWAY TRACK ELECTRICAL ANNUNGIATOR. No. 439,409. Patented Oct. 28, 1890 I fiiii naw/whoa UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JACOB \VILLIAM LATTIG, OF EASTON, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE NATIONAL SW'ITOH AND SIGNAL COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

RAILWAY-TRACK ELECTRICAL ANNUNCIATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 439,409, dated 0ctober 28, 1890.

Application filed August 21, 1890. Serial No. 362,634:- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JACOB WILLIAM LATTIG, of East-on, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Track Electrical Annunciators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is directed to improved appliances for closing the circuit of an electrical annunciator for railwaytracks by a passing or approaching train. These appliances involve, briefly, an aincompressor, which is connected to the track-rails in such manner as to be actuated by the weight of the passing train, and a circuit-closer operated by the air-compressor to close the circuit of an electric annunciator. They can be best explained and understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the air-compressor. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged View showing a part of the rail in cross-section and a part of the top plate of the air-compressor in section, together with one of the bolts by which that plate is secured to the rail. Fig. 4 is a vertical central section of the circuit-closer. Fig. 5 is a view of the system as a Whole.

The body of the air-compressor is composed of top and bottom metallic plates A B and with intermediate superposed rubber gaskets O, which form the walls of an air-chamber, of which the plates A B are the ends. The plates are held together by bolts 1), threaded at their lower ends. These bolts pass loosely through plate A, into which their heads are countersunk, and they screw securely into the bottom plate. The bolts pass outside of the rubber gaskets, thus holding the latter in position, and they normally hold together the plates sufliciently close to put some pressure upon the rubber gaskets. By this method of construction the top plate A, when pressure is exerted on it, can approach the lower plate, and by means of these plates and the rubber gaskets 0 there is formed an air-space which is tight, except at the point where the outlet 0 is formed in the lower plate. This outlet is a threaded or tapped hole, into which is to screw the pipe that connects the air-compressor with the circuit-closer. The top plate a flexible diaphragm g, which either is made itself of conducting material, or, it a nonconductor, is provided with a suitable strip or piece of conducting material, as customary in such cases. The diaphragm is held in place by non-conducting block or plug F, turned out at top' and bottom, as shown, and placed in the cup over the diaphragm with its lower outer edge bearing down upon the diaphragm and with its upper outer edge sufficiently high to be pressed down by the cap E when the latter is screwed down. The block F not only holds down the diaphragm, making an air-tight joint with its edge where the latter rests on the seat f, but it serves as a holder for a contact-screw h, which is inserted therein in a position to meet the diaphragm when the latter is lifted or pressed upward. This contact-screw is electrically insulated from the other metal of which the circuit-closer is composed. Into the bottom of the cup and below the diaphragm enters the threaded or tapped inlet-hole L' for the airpipe which leads from the air-compressor. The contact-screw h is connected to the outside circuit by an insulated wire passing to it through a hole j in the cup. The diaphragm is in electrical connection with the cup, which has a binding-screw 7a.

In connection with the appliances thus far described I use a battery X or other source of electrical energy and an electrical bell or annunciator Y of any approved construction. One pole of the battery is electrically connected to the diaphragm and the other to the contact-screw of the circuit-closer, as indicated in Fig. 5. The hell or annunciator is of course included in the circuit.

In Fig. 5 the parts are shown assembled together and in condition for use.

R is the rail to which the top plate of the air-compressor is bolted, in the manner hereinbefore indicated and illustrated in Fig. 3.

T T T are railway-ties. That tie which supports the air-compressor is notched to a depth just sufficient to admit the compressor between the top of the tie and the bottom of the rail.

P is the air-pipe connecting the air-compressor Wit-h the circuit-closer, which latter, together with the annunciator and battery, can be located at any convenient or desired point along the track. In the air-pipe is a check-valve 1;, so set as to pass air freely from the compressor to the circuit-closer, but to check its return from the latter.

The operation is as follows: The weight of a passing car, engine, or train upon the rail R over the top of the. air-compressor depresses the top plate A sufficiently to expel air from the compressor and to force it through pipe P into the circuit-closer below the diaphragm, which latter consequently is raised until it meets the contact-screw, thus completing the circuit and causing the annunciator to sound. After the train or car passes, the air thus compressed finally leaks back through the valve 1), allowing the diaphragm to fall, and thus to break the circuit and stop the annunciator.

Having described my improvements and the best way now known to me of carrying the same into effect, What I claim herein as new and of my own invention is as follows:

1. In a railway-track annunciator, the combination, with a circuit-closer containing the contacts of an electric circuit and provided with a diaphragm adapted to be operated by air-pressure to close said contacts, of an aircompressor adapted to be operated through the medium of the track-rail by the weight of the car resting on or passing over said rail, and a connecting-pipe leading from the air-space of the compressor to the circuitcloser, whereby the air expelled from the compressor by the action of the car thereon is caused to operate the diaphragm, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

2. An air-compressor resting upon a fixed support and having a movable top, through which the compression of air within it is effected, connected to the road-rail so as to be operated through the medium of the rail by the weight of a passing train, in combination with a diaphragm circuit-closer containing the contacts of an electric circuit, and an air-pipe connecting the air-compressor with the circuit-closer, so that the air expelled from the air-compressor shall be conducted through said pipe to actuate the diaphragm of the circuit-closer, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

3. Ina railway-track annunciator, an aircompressor actuated by a passing car, a diaphragm circuit-closer containing the contacts of an electric circuit, a pipe connecting the air-space of the air-compressor with the airspace of the circuit-closer, and a check-valve in the pipe which permits free passage of air from the compressor to the circuit-closer, but checks its return, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

4:. The air-compressor adapted to be placed beneath the rail of a railroad-track in position to be operated by the Weight of a passing car upon such rail and consisting of the top and bottom plates A B, the intermediate rubber walls 0, and the bolts 1), connecting the said plates in such manner as to permit the top plate to move to and from the bottom plate, in combination with the diaphragm circuit-closer and the air-pipe connecting the air-compressor with the air-space of said circuit-closer, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

5. The air-compressor and connecting-pipe P, in combination with the circuitclosercornprising the cup D, provided with opening t' in its bottom for connection of pipe P, and with annular seat or shoulder f, the diaphragm g, the non-conducting block F within the cup holding the diaphragm and carrying the contact-screw h, and the covering-cap E, engaging the cup and holding the block F in position therein, as shown and set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 18th day of August, A. D. 1890.

JACOB WILLIAM LATTIG.

Witnesses:

EDWARD J. MALLOY, J. H. JAooBY. 

